Support for firearms.



N 721,425. I PATENTED FEB. 24, 1903.

R. J. QLYDE.

SUPPORT FOR FIREARMS. APPLICATION FILED 001214; '1901.

11 0 MODEL' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J CLYDE, OF SHELTER ISLAND, NEW YORK.

SUPPORT FOR FIREARMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 721,425, dated February24, 1903.

I Application filed October 14, 1901. Serial No. 78,608. (No'morlelJ Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. CLYDE, a citizen of the United States,residing at and whose post-ofiice address is Shelter Island, in thecounty of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Adjustable Supports for Firearms, &c., of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to adjustable supports for rifles, shotguns, andlike firearms, fishingpoles, artists umbrellas and easels, or otherobjects which are required to be supported at times in upright position.

It frequently happens that sportsmen or hunters have occasion to resttheir guns against trees or fences, and many times when it is desired toso support the gun a convenient rest therefor is not at hand, and if theground is damp or muddy it is not advisable to lay the firearm upon it.Again, anglers have frequent, occasion, as when unhooking a fish, torest their fishing-rods upon their shoulders or other support, and thenecessity of maintaining artists umbrellas and easels in uprightposition is well understood.

The invention also includes certain detail features, which will be fullydescribed hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings,whichform part of this specification, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of afragmentary portion of a gun equipped with a support of my improvedcharacter. Fig. 2 is adetail sectional view on the line 5 5.

The reference-numeral 1 designates the stock of a gun formed with alongitudinal recess 2, adapted to contain a cylinder or casing 3, ofmetal or other suitable material.

The cylinder or casing is secured within the recess 2 by any preferredmeans and has the lower end thereof horizon tally disposed to receivethe lower end of. the stock 1, obviating any liability of the same beinginjured by coming in contact with the ground.

4 designates a rod slidably mounted in the cylinder or casing 3 and hasthe upper end thereof provided with a head or flange 5, adapted to restagainst an annular shoulder 6, formed within the cylinder or casing ator near the lower end thereof, whereby the outward movement of the rodis limited.

Inthe side of the gun-stock is formed a transverse recess 7,communicating at its inner end with the longitudinal recess 2 andadapted to contain a sleeve or casing 8, open at its ends andcommunicating at its inner end with an opening in the side of the casing3.

Within the transversely-disposed casing 8 is supported a dog or bolt 9,surrounded by a coil-spring 10, suitably held within the easing, saiddog or bolt having a head 11 at its outer end, while the innerlend isadapted to enter either of the openings 12 or 13, formed in the rod nearthe upper and lower ends thereof, respectively.

The rod 4 has the lower end thereof provided with a plurality ofdepending lugs 14, sufficiently spaced apart to permit of the receptionof the upper ends of supporting-legs 15 therebetween. The legs 15 arehinged to the rod 4 by means of pintles 16, passing through thelugs l4and the legs 15. Secured to the under side of the lugs 14 is a spring17, having a head from which project laterallyprojecting members 18,adapted to lie in engagement'with the legs 15, normally spreading'themto support the article.

Normally the rod and the legs 15 are held concealed within thegun-stock,the springpresse'd bolt projecting into the lower opening 13.of the rod to hold the same and the leg in their elevated positions.When the bolt is disengaged'from the opening 13, the rod and the legsdrop by gravity to the posi tion shown in Fig. 1, their downwardmovement being limited by the contact of the head 5 with the shoulder 6.The spring-bolt will be projected into the upper opening 12 of the rod,thus securing the latter firmly to enable it to support the gun againstcasual return into the cylinder or casing. The legs 15 are automaticallyspread through the agency of the spring when the same have beenwithdrawn from the cylinder or casing.

The invention is also well adapted for the 1 named, and I would have itunderstood that the invention is not restricted to the details ofconstruction shown, but that I reserve the right to make all suchmodifications-and changes in the details as may fall within the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim- 1. A support of the character described, comprising a metalliccylinder, a rod slidably mounted therein, supporting-legs secured to therod, and a spring having laterally-projecting members adapted to engagethe supporting-legs to normally retain the same spread.

2. The combination with an article to be supported in upright positionand form ed with a longitudinal recess, of a cylinder fitted within therecess and having the lower end thereof horizontally disposed to protectthe lower extremity of the article, said cylinder ,being provided with ashoulder, a rod slidably mounted in the cylinder and provided with ahead adapted to engage the shoulder to limit the outward movementthereof, said rod being provided with openings at the upper andlowerends thereof, legs hingedly connected to the lower end of the rod,a spring secured to the rodand having a head provided withlaterallyprojecting members adapted to engage the legs for automaticallyspreading and retaining the legs spread, a casing recessed in thearticle, and a springpressed bolt mounted in the casing and adapted toengage one of the openings.

3. The combination with an article to be supported in upright position,of a rod slidably mounted thereon legs hingedly connected to the rod,and a spring having a head provided with laterally-projecting membersadapted to contact with the legs for automatically spreading andretaining the legs spread.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT J CLYDE.

WVitnesses:

A. S. CAR'rWRIoH'r, RALPH G. DUVALL.

